Kierkegaard viewed life as a dialectical progression in which we pass through different stages, but he also uses the term “existence-spheres.” The first is the esthetic; secondly, there is the ethical; and finally you have the religious dimension.
By Mary Gateshill
I’m waging a small and gentle battle against the rising costs of... everything. Sometimes I wonder if the tiny efforts I am making have any major impact on our budget and the environment.
Then, one day watching an 8-month-old grandchild making his way across a rug without officially crawling, I thought, “I am pleased for him, and he is delighted with himself.” What he achieved hasn’t saved the planet, but has brightened the day for all those around him.
And so I continue with my personal campaign!
The choices we make when confronted with what life throws at us
Life only demands from you the strength you possess.
Only one feat is possible—not to have run away.
Dag Hammarskjöld
“The sacrament of penance raises a lot of questions. Can you offer some help? I’ve heard that the penitential rite, which opens the celebration of Mass, grants absolution for venial sins. Is this correct? The code of canon law states that the sacrament of penance is required for grave sins at least once a year, but only recommended (and not required) for venial sins. How can one differentiate a venial from a grave sin?”
Children across the country and around the world learn the Gospel-based Art of Loving through the Cube of Love program. Here’s how Iñigo, 10, from Wisconsin put “love your enemies” into practice.
When October’s Word of Life came out, I immediately thought it was something that could help her. “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Tim 1:7)
For the new year, Living City will feature writings and conversations on prayer in order to give our readers the possibility to deepen this important aspect of our life. We start with thoughts by Focolare founder Chiara Lubich on the Lord’s Prayer.
Fr. Jim Loughran is Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute in New York City. You can find the material for 2023’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at oikoumene.org/resources/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity.
